Centre muzzling protests, should re-think on CAA: NCP

The NCP on Monday attacked the Centre over police crackdown on those protesting the amended Citizenship Act in Delhi, saying such "muzzling" of voices was unfortunate, and asked the BJP-led dispensation to re-think over the new law given the opposition to it.

Unrest over the police crackdown in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rippled in angry waves through the country on Monday with demonstrations in several campuses, including in Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai and Kolkata.

The morning after violence broke out in the national capital, thousands of students across India took to streets demanding a probe into the use of teargas inside the Jamia library as well as police entering the campus without permission from the university authorities.

"It is unfortunate that the central government is muzzling the protests. They should allow the protests in a democratic way. We urge that the government re-think on the CAA as so many people are against it countrywide," NCP spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare said.

He noted that parties like the Asom Gana Parishad, which is the BJP's ally, were also opposing the new law after supporting it.

"It is then pretty evident that public pressure is so much that these parties are having re-think on it (the CAA). So, the government should also re-think on it," Tatkare said.